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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · bulb · net · rush · lean · ground · racket · court

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. court — of a king
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. ground — the earth
  6. net — for catching
  7. court — for sport
  8. ground — a position
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — for light
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. lean — thin
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — in sport
  23. rush — hurry
  24. lean — to rest against

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com